1
as in curious
interested in what is not one's own business
as we moved into our new home, we could sense that there were prying eyes watching us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in busy
thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited
prying neighbors who refuse to mind their own business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in questioning
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in pulling
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever
it took some effort to pry up the trap door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in yanking
to draw out by force or with effort
a vain attempt to pry the cork out of a wine bottle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interfering
to interest oneself in what is not one's concern
don't go prying into other people's business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of prying
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin,
oregonlive,
4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—
Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano,
WIRED,
28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—
Los Angeles Times,
12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—
Jane Li,
Quartz,
6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—
Eoin O'Carroll,
The Christian Science Monitor,
18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—
Yalman Onaran,
Bloomberg.com,
11 May 2017
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Following Guthrie's prying, Lopez eventually caved in with a concrete answer.
—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
The New Jersey native also teased some new music on the way after some prying from Hudson.
—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
10 June 2026
Even remakes and adaptations of centuries-old novels are kept away from prying eyes, forgetting that everybody can look up the ending of every story ever told on Wikipedia.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
9 June 2026
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US Navy is capable of prying open the Strait of Hormuz but that an extended military operation to free up the vital oil and gas waterway would be costly and require allies.
—
Jen Judson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Three days after announcing the hire of Chris MacFarland as their new hockey boss after somehow prying him out of Colorado, the club announced the hiring of Rob Blake as executive vice president of hockey operations on Friday.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Without prying into your personal life, is the album a story of going from being single to not being single?
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2026
Its Duplicate Finder clears clutter, advanced renaming options make your files easy to track, and military-grade encryption protects everything from prying eyes.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Adjective
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying -- and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin,
oregonlive,
4 Feb. 2023
But inquiring into the specifics of familial dynamics is impudent and prying — and a line of questioning that most people would be happy to avoid answering themselves.
—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2023
The Google Nest Hub (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a great smart display with no camera (and therefore no risk of unwanted prying eyes).
—
Brenda Stolyar and Medea Giordano,
WIRED,
28 Nov. 2022
To my mind, however, there’s a difference between a Google or a Facebook, which provide valuable services in return for their prying eyes, and an app that serves a single, ostensibly benign purpose — parking validation.
—
Los Angeles Times,
12 Nov. 2021
Carry two phones While anti-spy software may be effective in staving off the prying eyes of the Chinese government, not everyone knows how to install it.
—
Jane Li,
Quartz,
6 Aug. 2019
Its purpose: to train librarians to implement secure protocols on their own web services, and to teach members of the community to evade the prying eyes of governments, corporations, and criminal hackers.
—
Eoin O'Carroll,
The Christian Science Monitor,
18 Oct. 2017
One reason Russians have loaded up on passports is that Cypriot citizenship helps them avoid the prying eyes of their government and pay lower taxes.
—
Yalman Onaran,
Bloomberg.com,
11 May 2017
Noun
It’s often viewed as a dumping ground for human refuse — out of sight, out of mind — and it is structured to prevent prying eyes.
—
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Following Guthrie's prying, Lopez eventually caved in with a concrete answer.
—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
With that said, the game has managed to rack up an impressive five million sales in under a month, developing a dedicated fanbase that's been probing and prying at the game's engine, with delightful and sometimes unexpected results.
—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Palm Springs Has Still Got It This desert enclave has long been many things at once—a spa town, a sanctuary away from Hollywood's prying eyes, a design capital, a shoo-in for winter sun.
—
Jason Sheeler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
But in the quietest corner of the 10-acre sanctuary, away from the public’s prying eyes, a cohort of most unusual occupants sleep.
—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shooting have spread online and appear to show Good, 37, being told to get out of her car, with one agent walking and prying at the door handle.
—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
That was what led the princess to send her staff away and sneak the BBC crew in for the interview, isolating herself in the face of Bashir’s prying questions.
—
Theresa Braine,
Mercury News,
26 Nov. 2025
The New Jersey native also teased some new music on the way after some prying from Hudson.
—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Not with these linen panels that Malek Barney recommends—the thicker fabric strikes that Goldilocks balance between privacy and natural light, letting sunlight gently filter through while still shielding your space from prying eyes.
—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
—
Allison Degrushe,
StyleCaster,
10 June 2026
Even remakes and adaptations of centuries-old novels are kept away from prying eyes, forgetting that everybody can look up the ending of every story ever told on Wikipedia.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
9 June 2026
Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US Navy is capable of prying open the Strait of Hormuz but that an extended military operation to free up the vital oil and gas waterway would be costly and require allies.
—
Jen Judson,
Bloomberg,
8 June 2026
Three days after announcing the hire of Chris MacFarland as their new hockey boss after somehow prying him out of Colorado, the club announced the hiring of Rob Blake as executive vice president of hockey operations on Friday.
—
Pierre Lebrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Without prying into your personal life, is the album a story of going from being single to not being single?
—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2026
Its Duplicate Finder clears clutter, advanced renaming options make your files easy to track, and military-grade encryption protects everything from prying eyes.
—
Stackcommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
That doesn’t mean robbing Billy of his shot at prying open Homelander’s skull, but with only a symbolic solution to Trump’s authoritarian rise — love conquers all!
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prying
Adjective
-
The film, released as an accompaniment to the band’s 2017 album, Spirit, is a curious reminder of the path music takes after it’s released into the world.
-
To my father, wellness was not a goal to be optimized, but rather something that came naturally with a curious, family-oriented, and altruistic existence.
Adjective
-
Cohen said Humble Robotics is working to make cabless vehicles applicable to public roads, particularly those surrounding the busy ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
-
If there is a busy period during the day, let children know in advance and then follow through by setting aside time later to connect.
Noun
-
Capoy said the suspects, who were close friends, said in initial questioning that they were bullied in school.
-
The Kansas City Police Department detained one man for further questioning.
Verb
-
The beast screamed and flew away, pulling an attached anchor into the water.
-
Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray bursts, Swift remains scientifically valuable, but atmospheric drag has been pulling it dangerously close to Earth.
Verb
-
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
-
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.
Verb
-
Negrón also referred to the Justice Department and its Office of Government Ethics, the findings of an internal investigation led by the economic development agency against two government officials, who are accused of interfering in the process for an auction of a contract involving federal funds.
-
In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.
Adjective
-
Most episodes follow the inquisitive young Phineas teaming up with his quiet stepbrother, Ferb, in their constant quest to avoid boredom on summer vacation.
-
The tools—the ability to automate data production, analyze large datasets, and gain insights faster and faster, married to the number and complexity of challenges, makes now a very rich time to be inquisitive.
Adjective
-
Where does personalisation become intrusive?
-
Critics said at the time the inspections were not intrusive enough, and that the agreement was time-limited, rather than a permanent solution.
Cite this Entry
“Prying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prying. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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